Where Is Your Treasure?

I've been slacking off lately, in terms of spending alone time with God, in prayer and in reading the Word. Granted, I've been extremely busy with work these past couple of weeks, so much so that I find myself taking a bite of my lunch at 3 in the afternoon and chewing it as I'm walking to the copy room just so I'm not 'wasting time' sitting and eating. Still, busy-ness is never an excuse to not spend time with God, so I hope writing this will help keep me more accountable.

In the midst of all the craziness in the market, I feel like God is teaching me and showing me a lot of things through my job. He has definitely given me the grace to deal with the stress, the fatigue, and unpredictable mood swings at the office. A few of our clients are extremely nervous about having enough money to last them during retirement now that the financial system has collapsed and no one knows what's going to happen. For decades, these people are focused on their careers, pouring their entire lives into their work to save up enough money so they can retire comfortably. Now they're in their 60s and retiring, they're losing sleep at night because they're worried that all the money they've worked so hard for will disappear in this market. So for the first half of life you're worried about not having enough money, and the second half of life you're worried about losing the money that you have. It really is a sad way to spend your life on earth. It's almost better to have no savings and live paycheck to paycheck, since you don't have any wealth TO lose. Not that I'm not sympathetic to people's situations or nervousness, of course it's understandable. But when your treasure is in your bank accounts, that's where your heart is also. I am seeing firsthand how money can affect one's perspective on life and peace of mind.

Along a similar train of thought, God is showing us more and more that when we forsake Him and fall into the traps of pride and greed, that we will have to face the consequences of our decisions. Who would have thought that century old prestigious investment banks would fail and disappear into a thing of the past?! Job titles that seemed so glamorous even as recent as two years ago are now looked at with skepticism or sympathy or perhaps even pity. But why should we be surprised? God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. History is full of examples of people trusting in their own abilities rather than depending on God. And each time they fail, they are reminded that they have strayed away from God and go back to Him. That's the problem with us. We forget. So easily and so quickly. It's like what my friend Boey said when he visited NYC, 'What happened to the slogan - We will never forget'? He asked a bunch of people where ground zero was and no one could point him in the right direction. I heard on the radio the other day that after 9/11 churches were filled with people seeking answers and thinking that perhaps the end has come. After a few short months, when things settled down, we went back to our old routines and the sense of urgency faded. We don't even have excuses that the Israelites had - oh the Book of the Law got lost over the years and it's been generations so who knew?! We forget in the same generation, and we have all the information we want at our fingertips. Not even ten years ago, so many people lost their fortunes when the internet bubble burst. Then we were scared and cautious for a couple of years, but when we saw the next 'thing' on the horizon, we put all our money in real estate. We can blame the big bad wolves running the financial giants or point fingers at the government for not regulating the financial system, but really, we all played a part in this crisis. Isn't it convenient that when everyone was making money and taking out second mortgages and remodeling their homes and buying investment properties and homes they could barely afford, no one was giving credit to these financial companies or the government for their great fortunes. Now that we're in trouble, we expect someone else to take the blame for our mistakes and bail us out.

I'm glad we have more to look forward to and more to place our faith in than what this world has to offer, and I'm thankful that we have a loving God who gives us the strength to enjoy this life with peace and joy despite the crazy circumstances.

1 Timothy 6:6-10
Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

1 Timothy 6:17-19 Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.